A Wilmington Island man being held without bond in the weekend death of his wife has been charged with murder.
Savannah-Chatham police upgraded the charges — initially aggravated assault-domestic violence — against 37-year-old Norman Smart Tuesday evening after receiving preliminary autopsy results on his deceased wife, Lauren Smart.
Lauren Smart, 34, died Saturday after she was found unable to breathe about 9 a.m. at the couple’s Walthour Road house.
Prosecutors Monday during a bond hearing said the woman was found with bruises suspected of contributing to her death.
Police spokesman Julian Miller said Tuesday the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab confirmed she died of injuries received in an assault.
Chatham County Record’s Court Judge Harris Odell Jr. denied Norman Smart bond Monday and set a June 18 preliminary hearing in the case. The suspect remains in the Chatham County jail.
Violent Crimes detectives are continuing to investigate the death, Miller said.